Session after session you're getting exhausted halfway through, and find yourself skipping exercises or the workout entirely. Does this sound like you? Granted some days are just tougher than others, but there may be some simple explanations as to why this is happening. All that being said; here are some possible reasons as to why your workouts may be feeling like such a burden:
1. You’re not sleeping enough
There is a strong positive correlation between sleep and athletic performance, and we know that sleep is necessary for general health and recovery. Are you getting your 7-9 hours? Because if not, you may be dealing with altered mood states, cognitive impairment, and decreased performance in the gym.
2. You’re stressed
Work, school, and family problems can create unwanted stress in our life. Stress can impair our efforts to be physically active. We need to find good stress management techniques to help us continue to enjoy and participate in our workouts. However, habitual exercisers find themselves in the gym more when they are stressed; just be sure that you are getting adequate rest if you feel like this is you (see #4).
3. You’re not eating/drinking enough
Adequate hydration is imperative to a quality workout session. That doesn’t mean chugging a water bottle right when you get to the gym. You should be drinking all throughout the day, and adding in electrolytes during a sweaty workout session. Ensure you’re eating a well balanced meal 3-4 hours before training, or a snack of simple carbs (ex: yogurt, breakfast cereals, most fruit, energy bars, bagels) closer to training time. In general however, same as with hydration, it is best to be eating enough in general.
4. You aren’t allowing time for recovery
Exercise results in acute stress on the body. This means that we need adequate recovery in order to get the gains we want. There are different aspects to recovery such as your cool down, number of rest days, sleep, stretching, and eating properly. Analyze what variable of recovery you may be lacking in.
Before you think that you’re just not cut out for your workouts, look through this list. Are you taking good care of yourself? Are there things you can adjust to help you be more successful during your workout? There are different puzzle pieces to good health. The more you get those pieces aligned and in check, the better off you’ll be in all aspects of life!
Thanks for reading!
Stults-Kolehmainen, M. A., & Sinha, R. (2013, September 13). The effects of stress on physical activity and exercise - sports medicine. SpringerLink. Retrieved December 22, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-013-0090-5
Walsh NP;Halson SL;Sargent C;Roach GD;Nédélec M;Gupta L;Leeder J;Fullagar HH;Coutts AJ;Edwards BJ;Pullinger SA;Robertson CM;Burniston JG;Lastella M;Le Meur Y;Hausswirth C;Bender AM;Grandner MA;Samuels CH; (n.d.). Sleep and the athlete: Narrative review and 2021 expert consensus recommendations. British journal of sports medicine. Retrieved December 22, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33144349/